This image is just one of many highlighted by CNN from this week’s solar eclipse. Go to this link for more.
Pic of the Week: Solar Eclipse Over Berlin
Solar Eclipse – August 12, 2026
The solar eclipse is almost here. The map above from The Arctic Portal shows you the path of tomorrow’s eclipse, which reaches its maximum over Iceland.
NASA also has a number of handy maps for past and future eclipses at its Eclipse Data site, though it is a bit technical. The graphic for tomorrow’s eclipse is shown below.
Enjoy the view…and mind your eyes.
Space Stories: Renaming Wallops, Powering Voyager 2, and Catching the Solar Eclipse
Here are some recent space-related stories of interest.
—WBOC News: “Push to Rename NASA Wallops Facility Sparks Debate Over Eastern Shore History“
A request to honor one of the Eastern Shore’s most accomplished aerospace leaders is facing growing opposition from people who say changing the Wallops name could erase an important piece of local history. The Accomack County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution July 15 asking NASA to rename the Wallops Flight Facility in honor of A. Thomas Young, a Wachapreague native who built a decades-long career in the nation’s space program and aerospace industry.
—NASA: “NASA Engineers Help Prolong Voyager 2’s Science Mission“
Engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory have successfully freed up power on Voyager 2, extending how long the spacecraft can continue to do science. Nicknamed the “Big Bang,” the effort involved simultaneously turning off certain powered devices and substituting them with lower-power alternatives while ensuring the spacecraft remains warm enough to operate.
—Sky & Telescope: “Where to See the August 12th Solar Eclipse Online“
On August 12, 2026, millions will witness a total solar eclipse that crosses the north Atlantic and parts of Europe. The path of totality passes over Greenland, Iceland, Spain, and a corner of Portugal. Other parts of Europe and North America will see a partial solar eclipse. If you are in the path of totality or if you will be able to see the partial eclipse, head outside to see it for yourself! (Make sure you bring a good pair of eclipse glasses to protect your eyes.) But if you’re not in the path, or if clouds obscure your view, there are plenty of options for viewing this celestial spectacle online. What’s more, each broadcast listed here has its own roster of experts speaking about different aspects of the eclipse and the science around it.
Note: Here is the podcast version of this post.
Pic of the Week: Surface of the Sun
This week’s image is from the U.S. National Science Foundation’s (NSF) National Solar Observatory (NSO). It shows the highest resolution image ever captured of the Sun’s surface. The image was captured by the Inouye Solar Telescope located in Maui, Hawaii.
Here is more from the NSF about this image:
Using the world’s most powerful solar telescope, the NSF Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope near the summit of Maui’s Haleakalā, combined with computer simulations, an international team of scientists from the NSO, NSF NCAR High Altitude Observatory (HAO), and the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) found the signature of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI), tiny swirling patterns like small whirlpools, on the Sun’s surface. Researchers suggest that KHI might be a key reason why the Sun’s outer atmosphere gets so hot, and why magnetic energy builds up and moves around on the Sun. Magnetic energy fuels solar flares and eruptions—the kind of solar activity that can send bursts of energy toward Earth and affect satellites, power grids, and other technology. The discovery opens a new window into the fundamental physics of the Sun and other stars while underscoring the unmatched capabilities of the Inouye Solar Telescope.
A Hopeful Study on Solar Flares
Now that we know solar flares can be worse than anticipated (per the study cited in the prior post), let me add some good news about another study that may have a solution.
The recent study, Terrestrial Space Weather Protection Through Human-Produced Mass-Loading, has a plain language summary, fortunately, that explains one possible solution to the damaging effects of solar flares:
The study presents a new way to protect Earth from harmful space weather caused by storms from the sun that can disrupt technology and power grids. The study shows humans can actively reduce the impact by releasing neutral gas from orbiting satellites. Once released, this gas turns into plasma and drifts to the edge of Earth’s magnetic field where it softens the effects of solar storms. Computer simulations show this method could reduce the strength of a major solar storm by more than half, potentially saving lives and technology. The proposed approach uses existing technology and materials, making it a practical future defense against space weather risks.
What we really have here is a draw, with the first study saying the impact from solar flares may be twice as bad as previously thought and the second study saying the impact can be cut in half. So we are back to where we started assuming we launch a new batch of satellites.
Maybe future studies will bring us closer to even better defense mechanisms, but it is good to know that new solutions are being proposed.
Our Awesome Universe 